British government accused of hiding the fact that brutal Southport stabbing was a terrorist attack

The U.K.'s Labour government is under fire for allegedly concealing that the mass stabbing attack in July at a Southport children's party that left three girls dead and 10 others injured was a terrorist attack.

According to statements made by senior British officials to the the BBC and to The Telegraph, the attacker, named Axel Rudakubana, the 18-year old son of Rwandan immigrants, was facing possible terrorism charges for allegedly downloading an Al Qaeda manual and producing ricin, a deadly toxin.

Following the attack, a large number of protests against mass immigration were held, resulting in more than 1,000 arrests.

On that occasion, authorities repudiated the "fake news" and merely reported that the suspect was born in Wales. However, after restrictions on reporting the case were lifted, it was revealed that Rudakubana was the son of Rwandan immigrants that lived in Wales in 2006.

In August, Rudakubana was charged with three murders and 10 attempted murders. However, new charges have recently been brought against him, one of which relates to breaching the U.K. Terrorism Act.

Police issued a statement Tuesday noting, as mentioned, that a search of the suspect's home days after the attack found ricin, which is believed to have been prepared by the suspect, and an Al Qaeda terrorist group training manual were found on his computer.

However, police insist that it cannot be confirmed that it was indeed a terrorist attack.

At a press conference Tuesday, Serena Kennedy, commander of Merseyside County Police, said that to determine whether it was a terrorist act, the motivation must first be understood, and that it is not yet possible to do so. She added that no traces of ricin were found at the crime scene. Furthermore, she maintained that there was no attempt to hide information from the public.

Despite attempts to reduce tensions, criticism of the Labour government and the police has been echoed by conservative figures throughout the country.

Harsh criticism of the government and police

M.P. Robert Jenrick, candidate to lead the Conservative Party, expressed his concern about the alleged concealment of the facts and affirmed that citizens have the right to know the truth about what happened immediately. He added that even the idea of a cover-up would cause irreparable damage to public confidence in the authorities.

Jenrick also urged Prime Minister Keir Starmer to urgently explain what he knew about the attack in Southport and when he learned what happened.

While the BBC reported that senior government officials were aware of the new allegations for several weeks, Starmer's office denied that the prime minister had withheld information.

Kevin Badenoch, the Conservative Party's other leadership candidate, said too many people on all sides are rushing to conclusions before it is known exactly what happened. Although he added that as more information emerges, so do new questions to pose to the attorney general's office, police and Prime Minister Starmer.

Nigel Farage, leader of the Reform U.K. party, also criticized the authorities. He posted a video on X in which he says, clearly speaking in a sarcastic tone, "That's alright, then. That all makes sense to you, doesn't it?"